Surface energy transfer

Surface energy transfer (SET) is a dipole-surface energy transfer process involving a metallic surface and a molecular dipole.[1]

Comparison of energy transfer efficiency between SET and Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET)

Formula

The SET rate follows the inverse of the fourth power of the distance[2]

${\displaystyle k_{SET}=({{1}/{\tau _{D}})({d_{0}}/{d})^{4}}}$

where ${\displaystyle \tau _{D}}$ is the donor emission lifetime, ${\displaystyle d}$ is the distance between donor-acceptor, and ${\displaystyle d_{0}}$ is the distance at which SET efficiency decreases to 50% (i.e., equal probability of energy transfer and spontaneous emission).

Efficiency

The energy transfer efficiency also follows a similar form

${\displaystyle \phi _{SET}={\frac {1}{1+({d}/{d_{0}})^{4}}}}$

Due to the fourth power dependence SET can cover a distance more than 15 nm, which is almost twice the efficiency of FRET.[3] Theoretically predicted in 1978 by Chance et al. it was proved experimentally in 2000s by different workers.[4]

Applications

The efficiency of SET as nanoruler has been used in live cells.[5]

Gold nano particles are frequently used in these studies as the nanoparticle surface.

See also

• Dexter electron transfer
• Förster resonance energy transfer

References

1. Christopher J. Breshike; Ryan A. Riskowski & Geoffrey F. Strouse (2013). "Leaving Förster Resonance Energy Transfer Behind: Nanometal Surface Energy Transfer Predicts the Size-Enhanced Energy Coupling between a Metal Nanoparticle and an Emitting Dipole". J. Phys. Chem. C. 117 (45): 23942–23949. doi:10.1021/jp407259r.
2. C. S. Yun; et al. (2005). "Nanometal Surface Energy Transfer in Optical Rulers, Breaking the FRET Barrier". J. Am. Chem. Soc. 127 (9): 3115–3119. doi:10.1021/ja043940i. PMID 15740151.
3. T. L. Jennings; M. P. Singh & G. F. Strouse (2006). "Fluorescent Lifetime Quenching near d = 1.5 nm Gold Nanoparticles:  Probing NSET Validity". J. Am. Chem. Soc. 128 (16): 5462–5467. doi:10.1021/ja0583665. PMID 16620118.
4. R. Chance; A. Prock & R. Silbey (1978). "Molecular Fluorescence and Energy Transfer Near Interfaces". Adv. Chem. Phys. 60: 1. doi:10.1002/9780470142561.ch1.
5. Yan Chen; et al. (2010). "A Surface Energy Transfer Nanoruler for Measuring Binding Site Distances on Live Cell Surfaces". J. Am. Chem. Soc. 132 (46): 16559–16570. doi:10.1021/ja106360v. PMC 3059229. PMID 21038856.